


Like A Wrecking Ball

by clindzy



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, mcdanno
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 13:17:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6856390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clindzy/pseuds/clindzy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Steve catches Nahele in the act of violating his Marquis, he just can't find it in himself to lock him up and throw away the key. What he does instead, shocks even himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like A Wrecking Ball

**Author's Note:**

  * For [boazpriestly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/boazpriestly/gifts).



> Inspired by the amazing boazpriestly, the season 6 finale and "You Are Not Alone" by Jesse Bonanno, this fic came to be. It was only supposed to be a little thing. Instead my muse produced something beautiful. I hope you all enjoy. Comments and kudos are much appreciated.  
> xx

Steve knew from the first moment that he caught Nahele in his Marquis that he couldn’t just send him away. He couldn’t sign off on those criminal charges any more than he could slam home those handcuffs against those dirty wrists. Sighing, he rubbed a hand across his face and cursed Danny for softening him all those years ago, getting him to ease up in his hardass ways, becoming a father without even realizing it to Grace. Damn him for this; his whole world felt rocked wide open. Niggling doubts whispered to him: what do you know about being a full time father? Steve chose to push them aside, instead focusing on Nahele.

Now here he sat staring at a teenaged boy, wild eyed, full of false bravado, just this side of impoverished, in desperate need of guidance, clearly at a crossroads.

_Well, who was he to say no, Steve mused._

Nahele fidgeted in his seat. “Please, don’t send me to jail, I’ll do anything you want, sir,” he stammered.

Steve looked Nahele squarely in the eye before answering, “I won’t arrest you but this report will stay in the bottom drawer of my desk. You will help me fix up the Marquis and help me to find the parts that you took to sell.”

Nahele stared back at Steve, not really believing what he was hearing.

“O-o-of course, Commander.”

“If you so much as put one toe out of line, I will file that report. Also, you will find a job to occupy your time while you are not in school.”

Steve rose from his desk, crossing to sit in front of Nahele, hoping to put the young man at ease.

“I understand,” Nahele said, nodding nervously.

“Relax, Nahele,” Steve said, gentling his tone, putting his hand on Nahele’s shoulder.

Nahele practically leaned into the gesture; the poor boy was clearly attention starved in every way possible.

Steve’s heart ripped wide open in places that hadn’t been touched since Danny had been extracted to Colombia and he had had to soothe Gracie’s tears.

He vowed right then and there that Nahele would never be alone again.

Without breaking the contact, he found one of his business cards, ensuring that all of his phone numbers were listed, taking care to write his private home number neatly on the back and pressed into Nahele’s hand.

“You call me any time you need anything, you understand?” Steve asked earnestly, needing Nahele to know how much he meant to him already.

Nahele lifted his soulful eyes to Steve’s watery blue hazel gaze and nodded slowly.

“I promise, Commander.”

“It’s Steve, Nahele.” Steve gripped Nahele’s shoulder tighter, showing him that formalities were no longer needed.

Smiling so wide his cheeks hurt, Nahele stood up to hug Steve and made to leave the Commander’s office.

Steve had to grit his teeth to avoid tears from falling as he was hugging Nahele.  _Where was all this coming from? With Gracie he could understand, he was around her almost constantly, he was like a second father to her, given his relationship with Danny, but these emotions that he was having now were completely irrational to him._

Danny stepped into Steve’s office a few minutes after Nahele had left the Palace. Concern immediately flooded Danny’s face.

“Babe, what just happened?”

“I couldn’t arrest him, Danno. He was just a kid. Not much older than Grace. Dad’s a deadbeat. He’s got no one. I think he was selling the parts from the Marquis so he could eat. I felt like a dick just thinking about signing his arrest report,” Steve’s voice was gravelly and barely a shadow of what Danny knew it to be by the time Steve had finished speaking.

Taking a deep breath and considering his reply carefully, Danny approached his boss, his best friend, his lover and said, “So, what did you do instead?”

Pacing, breaking Danny’s gaze, Steve said softly, “I told him that I wouldn’t arrest him but he was going to help me fix what he took and he was going to get a job to occupy his time that wasn’t taken up by school or by me.”

A little shocked, Danny opened and closed his mouth a few times before he could respond with any sort of decent answer.

“You really are a softie, McGarrett,” he jibed, smiling, feeling so much love and pride for this man that three years ago would have only been too happy to haul this kid off to jail without a second thought.

“It’s your fault, Danno,” Steve snarked back, turning to face his partner, seeing all 5’6’’ of his snarky Jersey cop taunting him, all in love, of course.

“I can’t take all the credit, you know. Grace is a good kid and took to you right away. You had it in you all along.”

Steve felt something he refused to call a blush creep up from his neck to his cheeks…damn it all to hell.

_There was no way he could be a father, or could he? Danno thought he was good enough for Gracie and had been almost from the beginning. All jokes aside, Steve knew that he’d come a long way since he first met Grace and had had to be responsible for her care; could he do the same for Nahele? Would Danno stand by him, even if he made mistakes? He knew that he would give anything to ask his father for advice. Hell, he’d give anything to ask Joe for advice. Danny would kill him if he heard him say that last thought aloud._

Smiling to himself at his last thought, Steve saw Danny staring at him.

“Steven, I know what that smile means. You have crazy ideas going through that brain. Please tell me that you have thought about whatever it is that you have planned,” Danny pleaded, knowing all the while that it was a useless request.

Steve McGarrett did what he wanted, when he wanted, especially when he set his mind to it, even more so if it touched his heart. And Danny Williams was to blame for that; no matter how much Danny protested that fact, it was true. Secretly, Danny loved that he was the reason that Steve bitched so much; it proved to him just how much he mattered.

Wisps of an idea were curling around Steve’s brain. It wouldn’t take much to achieve, really. First, he would need to call Kamekona and make sure to get Nahele a job. Nodding vigorously, he reached for his phone.

“Babe, now you have that face where the whole world needs to get out of your way.” Danny shuddered. Heaven help him. He probably should call Grace and tell her he loved her, just for good measure.

“Danno, would you relax for God’s sake, I’m not doing anything stupid,” Steve huffed and rolled his eyes.

He picked up his phone, dialing Kamekona’s number, tapping his fingers on his desk as he waited for his friend to pick up.

“Brah, howzit,” Kamekona greeted him warmly.

“I need a favor, Kamekona,” Steve said.

“Anything for you as long as I get something, bruddah,” Kamekona replied, his chuckle echoing so loud Danny could hear it over the line.

Danny cringed. What was Steve doing and what was it going to cost them?

“How about an employee that I can personally vouch for?” Steve crossed and uncrossed his arms, a tic that very rarely came out.

It didn’t go unnoticed by his partner, nor did their mutual friend’s reply.

“Okay, you got it. Tell him he can start tomorrow.”

“You’re the best, brah.”

Steve shot his best SEAL smirk at Danny, clearly pleased with himself.

“Just what did you do and if you plan on getting any from me in the next century, you’ll tell me your plans,” Danny threatened, blue eyes flashing, well aware his Jersey accent was making itself known.

“I set Nahele up with a job with Kamekona,” Steve answered, smiling innocently.

“Don’t think a sweet smile and those eyes are getting you off that easy, Smooth Dog,” Danny growled.

Knowing he was playing with fire, Steve gave in; he wasn’t stupid.

“I don’t want Nahele living on the streets or in some shelter, Danno.”

Breathing out slowly and pinching his nose, Danny went to ask a question he knew he would probably regret.

“So, what are your plans, babe?”

“I’m going to fix up the guest room for him, Danny,” Steve replied, with such an earnest look on his face that Danny wanted to hug him and never let him go.

Danny knew how alone Steve had felt after Steve’s father had shipped Mary and him off to the mainland after Doris’ ‘death’ and the lengths he would go to now to prevent anyone from feeling the emptiness he still did. Danny knew the struggles Steve had faced when trying to step into the shoes of father figure to Grace; even harder had been the struggle when Steve had come to him telling him that he had no idea what he was doing. They had gotten through that first hurdle together, bruised and weary but survived thanks to the cousins and a hell of a lot of beer and the tenacity of ohana. It was then that he knew that he was completely gone for Steve McGarrett and there was no coming back. The next time he knew that Steve was truly a father was when Grace was kidnapped – seeing him hold it together for all of them, until the very end at that storage unit, and cradling Gracie, his heart overflowed. Then it was Colombia…still too painful to think about even now, Danny thanks God that Steve and their ohana were able to keep her safe; but it was Steve that proved yet again just how amazing of a father he was. Further buried under Steve’s words is the doubt that Danny knows is always present – will he be a good father to Nahele, will Danny support his decision to be a father to Nahele, will Danny support his decisions period, can he father Nahele- and Danny wishes that he could go back and punch Doris repeatedly for scarring Steve so deeply and irreparably.

“What are you waiting for you big goof?” Danny asked, grin crossing his face, genuinely happy that his best friend is ready to take this step in his life.

Steve looked at Danny, searching his face, trying to make sure that his immediate acceptance wasn’t a joke.

“Can’t believe that I’m not arguing with you on this, can you babe,” Danny asked, snicker escaping his lips.

“Danno, you’ve never once been agreeable in the time that I’ve known you,” Steve huffed, glaring at him.

“First time for everything. Now go, before I change my mind about being easygoing.”

Steve walked toward his office door, stopping to hug his lover tightly, dropping a light kiss to his lips and headed out into the bright Hawaii sunshine to give a young man bright new future.

Feeling lighter in his soul than he had in a long time, Steve opened the door to his truck, climbing in and put the keys in the ignition, helpless to the grin that crossed his face as it roared to life. He really did love his truck as much he joked to the team that he hated it; he just loved driving Danny’s Camaro more.

Driving down busy streets, crossing through the nicer parts of the island until he reached a rundown hovel in Ka’a’awa, Steve hopped out of the truck, determined to rescue Nahele and take him home to Aina Haina with him and to make him a part of his ohana. At the sound of his truck approaching, Nahele peeked out of the dirty window.

Steve walked up what was left of the crumbled front pathway and stepped onto the front porch. He lifted his left hand, ready to knock on the door, but was beat to the punch by Nahele opening the door.

“What are you doing here, Commander,” Nahele asked, fear obvious in his voice, eyes darting around.

Ignoring social norms, Steve took Nahele into his arms and squeezed him hard.

“Grab your things, buddy. I’m here to take you home with me.”

“But I’ve stayed out of trouble!” Nahele protested.

“It’s okay, I know you have,” Steve said, almost exactly as he would talk to Grace after she’d had a bad dream or she’d hurt herself at his house.

“Why do I have to leave then,” asked Nahele, very much confused.

“Because I want to take care of you and make sure you’re safe. It’s obvious that you’re all alone out here. I know what it’s like to feel alone, scared and helpless. So, I can change all of that for you, if you want.”

Steve stood there at the front door of this rundown shack, patiently waiting for Nahele to make a decision, not judging, eyes threatening to belie his feelings, all of his professional training in the world couldn’t prepare him for a mission like this.

Nahele shifted from foot to foot, unsure of what to do. His father had been in and out of his life for years, a career criminal by trade, and his mom had been gone for some time. He had no other family to speak of. Friends were a luxury that he couldn’t afford. Survival was the name of the game for kids like him. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had had a hot meal or even a hot shower with clear water. No one around here would miss him; he sure as hell wouldn’t miss looking over his shoulder. He was embarrassed to admit that he didn’t have anything worthy of bringing with him.

Steve saw the embarrassment written clear on the young man’s face and posture. He very obviously only had what was currently on him or he was too ashamed of what he had to bring it with him.

“You know we can always grab new stuff for you if necessary,” Steve said, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, not wanting to call attention to Nahele’s obvious embarrassment.

Looking at the floor, kicking his feet across his front door threshold, Nahele mumbled, “I just need a couple of things. I’ll pay you back right away.”

Instead of replying, Steve just grabbed his new surrogate son by the arm, gently leading him to the truck, away from the ruins of broken dreams, destroyed by things beyond Nahele’s control.

It was time for Nahele to start a new life and Steve was giving him the keys.


End file.
